Cristiano Ronaldo's Rafa row could set up Manchester United return

It's the international break, where column inches and our morning round-ups are depressingly filled by sensationalist transfer gossip. Don't worry, proper football will be back soon.

Today's headline story comes courtesy of the Mirror, who bring us news that Cristiano Ronaldo is unhappy with the state of affairs at Real Madrid. According to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, the Portuguese winger told president Florentino Pérez that "with this coach we will win nothing" in the wake of Madrid's 3-2 defeat to Sevilla.

Ronaldo's right -- Benítez isn't a very good manager, despite what Liverpool fans would have you believe -- but Rafa's an ideal yes-man to the egotistical Pérez, and it could well be that the president decides to sell Ronaldo rather than fire his coach. Watch this space.

Also in the news today is a report from the Manchester Evening News that Louis van Gaal isn't best pleased with Roy Hodgson calling Jesse Lingard up for the English national team. Van Gaal reportedly asked for Lingard to be omitted, presumably to avoid injury or fatigue, though it's a request that has gone unheeded.

Finally, Football Italia bring us some mildly interesting quotes from Matteo Darmian. The Italian full-back has fallen below Ashley Young in the pecking order at right-back, though he insists that the "new experience started in the best possible way." That's one way to look at it.